Method and apparatus of composing menu for users

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method of composing a user menu by proving a shortened route to the menu the user selected among a hierarchically structured On Screen Display menu so that the user can find a menu he or she wants more conveniently. The method comprises the steps of deciding whether an item is optionally selected out of the hierarchically structured OSD menu items; deciding whether a user menu registration button for the optionally selected item is pressed; registering the selected menu with the user menu by adding an index to the currently selected item once the user menu registration button is properly pressed; displaying the registered user menu on an OSD menu if a user view menu is established; actuating a corresponding menu item when an optional item is selected among the user menu; and deleting a menu item from the user menu if a deletion button is pressed on an optionally selected item out of the user menu.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation reissue application of U.S. Reissueapplication Ser. No. 12/409,465, filed on Mar. 23, 2009 now U.S. Pat.No. RE41,481, issued on Aug. 10, 2010, which is a continuation reissueapplication of U.S. Reissue application Ser. No. 11/827,990, filed onJul. 13, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. RE40,742 issued on Jun. 16, 2009, whichis a reissue application of U.S. Pat. No. 6,950,148 B2, the entirety ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference. This application claims thebenefits of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119, 120 to Korean Application No.10-2000-0072910, filed on Dec. 4, 2000, the entirety of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a television system. In particular, thepresent invention relates to a method of composing a menu for users ofdigital televisions and an apparatus of composing a menu for users ofdigital televisions.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, household digital appliances having a large display screenlike a digital TV system use On Screen Display (OSD) in order totransmit information to users and help the users to designate functionsthey personally want.

All currently used digital appliances do have a variety of functions,and the users are able to change the designated functions anytime byusing a remote control.

In such case, however, the structure or composition of the remotecontrol is usually very complicated to be able to provide all kinds offunctions. Therefore, most of the users prefer an OSD menu.

Fortunately, as a processor and memory capacity equipped in thehousehold appliances have been continuously developed, it becamepossible to establish a menu using a graphic just as good as a personalcomputer in terms of the capacity thereof.

Accordingly, the OSD menu for designating a variety of functionsespecially in the digital appliances has been hierarchically structuredand the depth of the hierarchy itself got deeper and complicated.

On the other hand, although digital appliances with various kinds offunctions are available, and as hierarchically structured OSD menu hasmore complicated structures, the users had to go through a number ofsteps in order to confirm or change the establishment of the menu theywant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a methodof composing a menu for a user in order to help the user to easily finda more frequently used menu by providing a shortened step to the menuthe user selected out of hierarchically structured OSD menu.

And an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus ofcomposing a menu for a user in order to help the user to easily find amore frequently used menu by providing a shortened step to the menu theuser selected out of hierarchically structured OSD menu.

In other words, the present invention provides an apparatus and methodof composing a menu in which a user registers a certain menu item he orshe frequently uses among the hierarchically structured OSD menu with auser menu, helping the user to find his or her favorite menu moreconveniently.

To achieve the above object, there is provided a method of composing amenu which includes steps of: deciding whether an item is optionallyselected out of the hierarchically structured OSD menu items; decidingwhether a user menu registration button for the optionally selected itemis pressed; registering the selected menu with the user menu by addingan index to the currently selected item once the user menu registrationbutton is properly pressed; displaying the registered user menu on anOSD menu if a user view menu is established; actuating a correspondingmenu item when an optional item is selected among the user menu; anddeleting a menu item from the user menu if a deletion button is pressedon an optionally selected item out of the user menu. There is providedan apparatus of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen display(OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure, a graphics processing unit forgraphically processing the OSD menu, a memory for storing index data onthe OSD menu to provide the data to the graphics processing unit, amicrocomputer for displaying the OSD menu or the user menu on the screenby controlling the said graphics processing unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a device in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A to 2C is an exemplary view of a state of On Screen Display menuin accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 3A to 3C is an exemplary view of a state of a user menu display inaccordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is an operation flow chart.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings. In the followingdescription, same drawing reference numerals are used for the sameelements even in different drawings. The matters defined in thedescription are nothing but the ones provided to assist in acomprehensive understanding of the invention. Thus, it is apparent thatthe present invention can be carried out without those defined matters.Also, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detailsince they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an OSD menu composition device inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Asshown in FIG. 1, the OSD menu composition device includes: a graphicsprocessing unit 130 for graphically processing the OSD menu or the usermenu to display the menu on CPT 140 screen; a memory 150 for storingindex data on the OSD menu and the user menu (for example, displayposition, caption size, color etc.) to provide the data to the graphicsprocessing unit 130; a remote control 110 for the view and selection ofthe OSD menu, and registration, view and selection of the user menu; anda microcomputer 120 for displaying the OSD menu or the user menu on theCPT 140 screen by controlling the graphics processing unit 130 and bychecking an output signal from the remote control 110 in case that theOSD menu or the user menu display button is pressed, and for registeringan optionally selected menu item with the user menu by storing the indexfor the selected menu item into the user menu domain of the memory 150in case that a user menu registration button 160 is pressed on anoptional menu item selected among the currently displayed OSD menu.

The microcomputer 120 includes a remote control signal receiving circuit190 as well as EEPROM or flash memory to store a control program foruser menu registration.

The operation and effects of the embodiment according to the presentinvention are now explained with reference to the exemplary views shownin FIGS. 2 and 3, and an operation flow chart shown in FIG. 4.

For a better understanding, the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is explained in three procedures: OSD menu display,registration of an item in the OSD menu to the user menu, and user menudisplay.

First of all, the OSD menu is displayed based on the followingoperation.

The user presses OSD menu button on the remote control 110, which isdetected by the microcomputer 120. The microcomputer then controls thegraphics processing unit 130 to display the OSD menu.

Accordingly, the graphics processing unit 130 reads index data of theOSD menu (such as, display position, caption size, color etc.) that havebeen stored in the memory 150 and carries out a designated graphicsprocessing in order to display the initial OSD menu including items like‘SETUP’, ‘VIDEO’, ‘AUDIO’, ‘SPECIAL’, ‘TIME’, or ‘LOCK’ on the CPT 140screen.

At this time, if the user selects ‘SETUP’ item on the OSD menu by usinga direction key equipped in the remote control 110, ‘SETUP’ item isactivated and the hierarchically structured OSD menu like the exemplaryview of FIG. 2(a) is displayed on the CPT 140 screen.

Referring to FIG. 2(a), if the user selects ‘Main Source’ using theremote control 110 while the ‘SETUP’ item is being activated, the ‘MainSource’ is also activated and the hierarchically structured OSD menulike the exemplary view of FIG. 2(b) is displayed on the CPT 140 screen.

On the other hand, if the user selects ‘SPECIAL’ item among the initialOSD menu by using the remote control 110, then ‘Aspect Ratio’ item,especially ‘Panorama’ item out of the detailed items of ‘Aspect Ratio’,the hierarchically structured OSD menu like the exemplary view of FIG.2(c) is displayed on the CPT 140 screen.

If the user wants to activate ‘Panorama’ item in the state that theinitial OSD menu is being displayed, what the user needs to do is toselect ‘SPECIAL’, ‘Aspect Ratio’, and ‘Panorama’ sequentially by usingthe direction key on the remote control 110.

In addition, when the OSD menu is displayed as described above, the usercan choose certain menu items he or she frequently uses, and registersthem with the user menu. Then, using the user view menu buttons equippedin the remote control 110, the user can easily search for the menu he orshe wants. More details are followed below.

To begin with, in order to register a specific menu item with the ‘usermenu’, the user presses the ‘user menu registration’ button on theremote control 110 at the state that an optional item out of the OSDmenu is being activated. The microcomputer 120 then detects what theuser pressed, and stores index data on the corresponding item into theuser menu domain of the memory 150 for registering it with the ‘usermenu’ item.

Similar to what is illustrated in FIG. 2(b), if the user presses the‘user menu registration’ button equipped in the remote control 110 whilethe ‘Main Source’ item is being activated at the same time, the ‘MainSource’ item is registered, and as shown in FIG. 2(c), ‘Panorama’ itemis registered if the ‘Panorama’ item is being activated.

Also, to see the user view menu, the user just needs to pressure theuser view menu button on the remote control 110. The graphics processingunit 130 that is controlled by the microcomputer 120 reads the indexdata in the user menu domain from the memory 150.

Later, the graphics processing unit 130 processes the index data thathave been read from the memory 150 following the designated manner, anddisplays ‘user menu’ on the CPT 140 screen.

As an illustration, the ‘user menu’ displayed on the CPT 140 screen canbe shown similar to the exemplary view of FIG. 3(a).

Therefore, if the user wishes to see detailed items of ‘Main Source’, heor she can move the cursor of the remote control 110 to ‘Main Source’,as shown in FIG. 3(b), and press a confirm key 170. Then, themicrocomputer 120 detects this, and controls the system to actuate thecorresponding operation based on the decision regarding the designated‘Panorama’ function, as shown in FIG. 3(c).

Although the procedures of the user menu registration and view only havebeen explained above, the user also can delete any item from the usermenu at any time.

In other words, when the user menu is being displayed, the user can movethe cursor to the menu item he or she wants to delete, and press theuser menu deletion button 180 on the remote control 110. Themicrocomputer 120 again detects this, and deletes the index data on thecorresponding menu stored in the memory 150, deleting the user menuitem.

In the meantime, once the user menu is registered as above, the usermenu is displayed in a pre-designated format, which can be optionallycomposed of display position of the user menu screen, size and color.

Accordingly, the present invention provides the user with a moreconvenient way to find a menu item he or she wants, in which the usercan register the frequently used menu items and press the key once todisplay the CPT screen so that the user can find the menu he or shewants out of the hierarchically structured OSD menu more easily.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference tocertain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims.

1. A method of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure, the method comprising the steps of: deciding whether an item is optionally selected out of the hierarchically structured OSD menu items; deciding whether a user menu registration button for the optionally selected item is pressed; registering the selected menu with the user menu by adding an index to the currently selected item once the user menu registration button is properly pressed; displaying the registered user menu on an OSD menu if a user view menu is established; actuating a corresponding menu item when an optional item is selected among the user menu; and deleting a menu item from the user menu if a deletion button is pressed on an optionally selected item out of the user menu.
 2. A method of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure of claim 1, wherein said user menu is setting if the user select ‘main source’ using the remote control.
 3. A method of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure of claim 1, wherein the user select ‘special’ item among the initial OSD menu using the remote control, then the hierarchically structured OSD menu is displayed.
 4. A method of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure of claim 1, wherein when the user menu displayed the user can choose certain item.
 5. A method of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure of claim 1, wherein said registering step registers a specific user menu; the user presses the ‘user menu registration’ button on the remote control, a microcomputer detects the user pressed button, and stores index data on the corresponding item into the user menu domain.
 6. A method of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure of claim 1, wherein a user can delete any item from the user menu at any time by deletion button on the remote control.
 7. A method of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure of claim 1, wherein a user can be optionally composed of display position of the user menu screen, size and color.
 8. A method of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure of claim 1, wherein if the user wishes to see detailed items of ‘main source’, the user moves the cursor of the remote control and presses a confirm key.
 9. An apparatus of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure, the apparatus comprising: a graphics processing unit for graphically processing the OSD menu; a memory for storing index data on the OSD menu to provide the data to the graphics processing unit; a microcomputer for displaying the OSD menu or the user menu on the screen by controlling said graphics processing unit and for actuating a corresponding menu item when an optional item is selected among the user menu; and a remote control having a deletion button for deletion a menu item from the user menu.
 10. An apparatus of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure of claim 9, wherein said graphics processing unit displays the user menu on the screen.
 11. An apparatus of composing a user menu for displaying On Screen Display (OSD) menu with a hierarchical structure of claim 9, wherein said microcomputer includes a remote control signal receiving circuit.
 12. A method for composing a menu, the method comprising: displaying a plurality of menu items of a first menu on a display; activating a menu item from the plurality of menu items of the first menu; registering the activated menu item with a second menu; displaying the registered menu item of the second menu on the display; activating a menu item of the second menu; actuating an operation corresponding to the activated menu item of the second menu; and deleting a menu item from the second menu when a delete request is received.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first menu is displayed at the same time as the second menu.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the deleted menu item is no longer displayed on the second menu.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the deleted menu item is displayed on the first menu.
 16. An apparatus for composing a menu, the apparatus comprising: a display configured to display a first menu comprising a plurality of menu items; and a processing unit configured to: activate a menu item from the plurality of menu items of the first menu when a first input to activate the menu item is received; register the activated menu item with a second menu when a second input to register the activated menu item is received; control the display to display the second menu when a display input is received, wherein the second menu comprises at least the registered menu item; activate a menu item of the second menu when the menu item of the second menu is selected; actuate an operation corresponding to the activated menu item of the second menu; and delete a menu item from the second menu when a third input is received.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first menu is displayed at the same time as the second menu.
 18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the deleted menu item is no longer displayed on the second menu.
 19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the deleted menu item is displayed on the first menu.
 20. A method for composing a menu, the method comprising: displaying a first menu comprising a plurality of menu items on a display; activating a menu item from the plurality of menu items of the first menu; registering the activated menu item with a second menu; displaying the second menu, which comprises the registered menu item, on the display responsive to a single key input; activating a menu item of the second menu; actuating an operation corresponding to the activated menu item of the second menu; and deleting a menu item from the second menu when a second input is received.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first menu is displayed at the same time as the second menu.
 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the deleted menu item is no longer displayed on the second menu.
 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the deleted menu item is displayed on the first menu. 